@serge@babka.social
@serge@babka.social avatar

serge

@serge@babka.social

I run Babka, a Jewish online space that includes a Mastodon instance. All about providing a safe place for Jews to live authentic online lives.

#Jewdiverse #Mazeldon

This profile is from a federated server and may be incomplete. Browse more on the original instance.

serge, to Haiku
@serge@babka.social avatar

Is anyone using as their daily driver?

If so, can you tell me why, other than bragging rights, you do so?

For example, I can tell someone why I run Linux very easily, so if you're using Haiku, can you say why?

serge, to UX
@serge@babka.social avatar

I'm still looking for a UX Designer, someone who has expertise in user interface design specifically.

If you're someone who has a User Experience design background, please get in touch with me by DMing me, and please be sure to include your email address!

galad, to random
@galad@mastodon.social avatar

@DropBear @serge There is so much wrong with your post that it would take forever to properly unpack... Primarily you are tokenizing Jews via one of the most fringe sects out there. Secondly, you fundamentally do not understand what Zionism is.

serge,
@serge@babka.social avatar

@galad

Don't bother. This account is so antisemitic that they're suspended from Babka. It sounds like more of the same.

serge, to random
@serge@babka.social avatar

What I think people don't understand is that I actually hate all this antisemitism stuff. I don't even really like talking politics anymore. If this was the 90s, I'd happily skip most of it.

The problem is that the issues of the world right now are so serious- antisemitism, the degraded rights of women and LGBTQ+ folks, as well as the threat to democracy in the US, etc.

Otherwise I'd be posting about fun stuff like which Marble League team I support, who I support in the Wawa vs Sheetz debate, or cartoons.

I need more sillyness in my life.

serge, to random
@serge@babka.social avatar

๐ŸŽต Antisemites to the left of me
Khanists to the right
Here I am
Stuck in the middle with you ๐ŸŽต

serge, to news
@serge@babka.social avatar

I'm quite frustrated with the liberal news agencies.

I went to check on the report about the UN reducing the number of reported Gazan casualties. They reduced the number by half, half, and yet I only see this reported in Conservative news sources.... From a UN report!

Any casualty is tragic, but the idea that the number of women and children who have died is half the number they previously released is a huge deal, and brings the number of casualties to be much lower than we've seen discussed in this unprecedented, highly urban war.

I complained about Conservatives courting Jews, but I must emphasize once again that this is not on Jews to be courted, it's on Liberals and the Left to court Jews, and if they lose a generation or two of Jews to the right, I will be sad but it will be obvious why...

Left, DO BETTER. Report the news even if it challenges your narrative.

serge, to random
@serge@babka.social avatar

I've solved the mystery of why both cats seem to be super hungry all the time now.

Ascii is on new anti-allergy meds. This has made her not only hungry, but ravished. Where before she would eat a small bit, then come back later, her hunger has increased over the last few weeks to the point now she will eat an entire can of cat food, leaving absolutely nothing left.

This means that Crispin, who is eating normal amounts, come back to his bowl after eating, and finds nothing there, so now he's hungry too.

Increasing their food by 1/4-1/3rd hasn't been enough!

serge, to UX
@serge@babka.social avatar

Seeking an Experienced UX/UI Designer for a New Online Project

I'm working on a new project focused on creating a new Jewish space and am in need of a skilled UX/UI designer to address some pain points.

I'm looking for someone who has expertise in UX/UI design, and can demonstrate that with an online portfolio.

I'd prefer someone with several years of UX under their belt, but am flexible here.

Your job would be working with me to address some pain points and try to make the site friendlier and more fun.

This is for a web application, so a grounding in web tools is a bonus as we turn your design into a working system.

A bonus would be if you could help turn your design into HTML/CSS as well.

This would be a short term, fully remote contract. Compensation is something we can discuss based on experiences and the services you'll be providing.

If you're interested, please DM me an introduction with your email address and we'll discuss further!

Thanks so much!

dukepaaron, to random
@dukepaaron@babka.social avatar

Moroccanoil is the new Dancing Israelis.

The ability to turn anything into a nutty Jewish conspiracy is Europe's greatest gift to the world and modern society since the large hadron collider changed the timeline.

This jokes for you, Harambe!

<pours one out for him>

serge,
@serge@babka.social avatar

@dukepaaron

Oh no what happened?

serge,
@serge@babka.social avatar

@dukepaaron

Sneaky Jews, controlling the Eurovision, but not actually winning!

sickmatter, to random
@sickmatter@mastodon.social avatar

Anyone know of a mastodon instance that uses the IHRA definition of antisemitism as something against their rules? And moderates accordingly?

serge,
@serge@babka.social avatar

@sickmatter

Babka Social uses IHRA.

That said, this has been both controversial and largely unnecessary.

For our non-Zionist community members (or slightly anti-Zionist community members), the IHRA is not universally liked because of it's Israel exceptionalism. IHRA says things like "Don't compare Israel/Israelis to Nazis." when they feel it should say "Don't compare Jews to Nazis." - Israel is covered but it's not exceptionalized.

Thus we take that position, that all places where Israel is exceptionalized by IHRA is de-exceptionalized by us.

Now, that said, there's an irony in that we actually would find that a vast, vast majority of what we moderate here is already covered under other antisemitism definitions, even ones I find extremely problematic.

In my opinion, as the admin of Babka Social, the key then isn't that an instance must use IHRA, but must use a defined definition, preferably one that is well known and has gone through some scrutiny.

serge, to random
@serge@babka.social avatar

I usually love the podcast Unorthodox, but I was shocked at Liel Leibovitz's monologue about the campus protests.

I was shocked because he moved the issue from antisemitism, demonstrating the issues of discrimination and hatred clearly to what I can only describe as right wing nut-jobbery, praising hate-filled people like Ron DeSantis.

I was even more shocked, and dismayed, that this monologue seemed to be not only allowed, but tied directly to Tablet's membership campaign.

For Jews like me who are absolutely appalled at the hatred coming from these campus protests and left-leaning movements, it might seem attractive to give in to the most base elements of our psyche and "jump ship", but doing so ignores not only our own struggle, but that of others we care about, Queer folks, Black folks, and other marginalized people.

1/

serge,
@serge@babka.social avatar

Certainly many of us are political refugees, abandoned by our political affiliation, from institutions we relied on, and in some cases our own friends, even loved ones, but I disagree with Leibovitz that this is building anything. "Going Republican" is about tearing down protections for those who need them most.

I cannot deny that I myself feel extremely lost, but I remain grounded in who I am and the values and ethics that I've always held, with our without people who would call themselves my ally.

There will be new Jewish institutions, and I have no doubt that the left's abandonment of Jews will cause many to re-think their political affiliation, but I would urge us Jews to think carefully and thoughtfully about not just where we live now, but where we want to live in the future.

2/

serge,
@serge@babka.social avatar

I don't want to make this about the here and now. I'm thinking about the next decade or two, or three. At the same time, we must address the here and the now, and I can't help but be aware that in the US, there is a deep and serious conflict, not just about Jews and non-Jews, but about democracy and fascism.

I'm the first one to say that we Jews deserve better. We deserve the same protections and care that other marginalized groups get. We do not deserve the demonization and hatred that every single Jews I know suffers from right now.

Yet I ask you, fellow Jews, whether you agree with Leibovitz that someone like Ron DeSantis or Donald Trump exemplifies your values?

They sure as heck don't exemplify mine.

3/3

serge,
@serge@babka.social avatar

@rabbijill

I wish you the most speedy of recoveries.

@TonyStark

serge,
@serge@babka.social avatar

@shekinahcancook @daniellesatm

Yes, there's certainly a lot of intersectionality here. Obviously no one should be asked to vote against their own existence (just as we Jews are now being asked to do!), and there are absolutely Trans Jews, as well as Jews of Color.

I would hope that even for Jews who aren't immediately or directly impacted by such things, we would vote the same way.

serge, to random
@serge@babka.social avatar

Realizing that people under 35 won't really recognize many of the sounds in Telephone Call.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ys_rJtuMfuA

(original in German)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-VqgeCSkxs

serge, to random
@serge@babka.social avatar

Sabat Salom

serge, to Israel
@serge@babka.social avatar

I've been doing some research and I can't find any other example of a military called by a name other than [Country Name] Military, such as "American military", "Russian Military", "Chinese Army", etc. other than Israel, when people talk about the IDF, the Israeli Defense Force.

This is clearly a way to act as if the Israeli army is somehow a separate entity than the government, and thus can be compared to terrorist organizations. It's a means of de legitimization.

Whether you agree with the military's actions or find them abhorrent, treating it as a separate entity is problematic. The military operates on behalf of the government.

If you've been doing it, stop.
If you see other people doing it, call it out.

At this point, I will personally see it as a dog whistle and proceed accordingly.[1]

[1] This is my personal view, not Babka moderation policy.

serge, to random
@serge@babka.social avatar

I recently watched a video about JustPearlyThings. Aside from the obvious issue of what a vile person she is, it made me realize that no one thinks Pearl Davis represents women when she says things like women don't deserve the right to vote, or women are worth less than men. Yet I see lefties on a daily basis do when it comes to Jews, who will say terrible, hateful things about other Jews for external validation- mostly by non-Jews.

There are always these kind of people who seek external validation, but we don't take them seriously, and so when someone says "A Jew said it, so it can't be antisemitic", remember Pearl Davis and think how ridiculous it would be if someone said "Pearl Davis said it, so it can't be misogynistic."

serge, to random
@serge@babka.social avatar

I have a real challenge when I see people I know boosting from accounts I know to be antisemitic, even if the thing they're boosting isn't.

Sometimes this is an indicator that the booster doesn't know who they're boosting.

Other times, it's an indicator that I want to not follow this person anymore.

Do others deal with this? How do they handle it?

serge, to random
@serge@babka.social avatar

Today is Israeli Holocaust Remembrance Day and the Fediverse seems to be singing Nemobozorbicha Domovan. ๐Ÿคฆโ€โ™‚๏ธ

ErikJonker, to Israel
@ErikJonker@mastodon.social avatar

Israel drops leaflets over Gaza ordering people to move away to "safer" areas, it's all a bit surreal because who will feed them there, how safe will it be, when can they return etcetera ?

serge,
@serge@babka.social avatar

@ErikJonker

So you'd prefer that Israel not warn the Gazans of where it bombs???

Disgraceful!

serge,
@serge@babka.social avatar

@ErikJonker

Yes, Hamas should surrender so the war will end immediately.

serge,
@serge@babka.social avatar

@ErikJonker

This is like saying that the allies war against Nazi Germany would not be a way to destroy Nazis.

It doesn't have to destroy all Hamas- it has to get them removed from power and control over Gaza.

Hamas is not the PLO, they have shown that they are unwilling to work towards peace, and they have as their charter the murder of all Jews on in the Levant.

Hamas may exist, but hopefully without funding from Iran, and without power just as Nazis exist today, but they don't control Germany.

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